Impregnating and coating machine



April 22, 1947- R. K. GOODLATTE 2,419,260

IMPREGNATING AND COATING MACHINE Filed Jul 's, 1943 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 22, 1947. R, K. GOODLATTE 2,419,260

IMPREGNATING AND COATING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I0 y 1- 1 /9 47' 58a 7 INVENTOR Robert If. goodlaie ATTORNEY R. K. GOODLATTE IMPREGNATING AND- COATING MACHINE April 22, 1947.

Filed July 9, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m m QM a 0 M M w B w RG/ F. 5 o. m MK 0 E j m 7 v 73 C J0 ll 7 w 3 W BBQ 1 P L H a l i T Patented Apr. 22, 1947 2,419,260 IMPREGNATING AND COATING MACHINE Robert K. Goodlatte, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Production Engineering Corporation, Clifton, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application July 9, 1943, Serial No. 494,948

. This invention relates to a machine for coating and impregnating articles with a moisture- ,proofing material.

, -One of the objects of this invention is to p vide a coating machine which is simple, practical, and thoroughly durable. Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character which will coat a maximum of articles in a minimum of time. Another object is to provide a construction of the above character which is efiicient in operation. Another object is to provide a construction of the above character which unskilled labor may be readily taught to operate. Another object of this invention is to provide a construction of the above character by which a thin, even coating of wax may be placed on the articles being waxed. A further object is to provide a construction of the .above character which, in addition to coating the articles, may be utilized to impregnate them with the coatin material. A still further object is to provide a construction of the above character having efiicient and practical apparatus for heating the coating material. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3- -3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the machine;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line l i6 of Figure 1; and

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic showing of a portion of the circuit of the tank heating apparatus.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs.

I Referring first to Figures 1 and 3, the machine includes a housing, generally indicated at In, having a platform, generally indicated at I I, mounted therein for vertical movement with respect thereto. Platform I I carries heating apparatus, generally indicated at 12, within which the lower portion of a tank, generally indicated 8 Claims. (Cl. 91-42] in a liquid state by heating apparatus l2.

at L3, is seated. .A basket, generally indicated at M (Figure 3), which is loaded'with theiarticles'to be moisture-proofed with a coating of wax, is mounted on a shaft l5 which is rotated by a motor 16 (Figure 2) through suitable belt and pulley connections. Tank I3 (Figure 3) is filled t0 the bead I! with wax which is maintained The platform I l, and thus the tank 13, is hydraulically raised until the basket [4 is'immersed inthe wax in tank l3. Next the platform is loweredto an intermediate position and the basket is spun, and the excess wax thrown off striking th 'upper side wall of tank l3. Finally, the spinning is stopped and the platform is lowered to its lowermost position at which time the basket may be removed.

Housing [0 has a cylindrically shaped side wall (Figures 1, 2, and 5) which is connected to. a base [8 (Figures 1 and 2) closing the lower end of the housing. The housing side wall l9 (Figure 3) is covered by suitable insulation material 20, which is held in place thereon by metal shell 2|. The upper end of the housing is covered by a top plate 22 (Figures 1 and 2), which has a window 23 in the front portion thereof topermitthe operator of the machine to examine the Waxing process during the operation of the machine.

Plate 22 has a thrust bearing (not shown) mounted thereon, which mounts and supports shaft l5 and basket l4 (Figures 1 and 3). Shaft l5 has a pulley 24 connected to its upper end which is driven through belt 25 by motor-pulley 26. A brake drum 21 (Figures 1 and 2) is mounted on and connected to shaft [5 beneath pulley 24. A pair of arms 28 and 29 (Figures 1 and 5) carrying brake shoes (not shown) are pivotally mounted on plate22 by a pin 30 for movement in a horizontal plane with respect to the machine, Arms 28 and 29 extend around oppositesidesof drum 2! and are resiliently urged toward each other by a spring (not shown) to hold their respective brake shoes in contact with opPQsite sides of the brake drum.

The operation of both the motor and the brake are controlled by handle 3| (Figures 1 and 5), which moves in a horizontal plane with respect to the machine. Handle 3| is connected to a shaft 32 (Figure 1) pivotally mounted on housing .10. A yoke member 35is connected to the upper end of shaft 32 and extends inwardly over the top of the machine. The arms of yoke member 35 (Figures 1 and 5) extend around the downwardly extending portion, as viewed in Figure 1 of a crank 36 pivotally-mounted on plate 22 by a bearing 31. The inner end of crank 36 is preferably enlarged (Figure and so shaped that when crank 36 is turned in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the arms 28 and 29 are spread to move the brake shoes out of contact with the brake drum 2! (Figure 1). The motor I6 is controlled through a link 38 pivotally connected to' a downwardly extending portion-3m (Figure 1) of handle 3| and to the control lever; 39a 'of switch 39 (Figure 5). Switch 39 is so constructed that when the control lever 39a is in a neutralposition as shown in Figure 5, the motor is 01f, that when the control lever is moved counterclockwise from a neutral position, as viewed in Figure 5, the motor rotates the basket in one di- 1 rection, and that when the control lever is moved in a counterclockwise direction, the motor rotates the basket in the opposite direction. Thus, whenever handle 3| is moved upwardly or downwardly, as viewed in Figure 5, the brake shoes are moved out of contact with the brake. drum 21 (Figure 1) and the circuit to themotor is completed.

The basket l4 (Figures 1 and 3) Whichholds the articles being treated is cylindrically shaped and has a perforated side wall and bottom. The

upper edge of the side wall is connected to a rim 40 which slants inwardly and upwardly from the edge of the basket. A support connected to the lower end of shaft |5 has a pair of tongues 43 and 44 formed on opposite edges. These tongues coact with tracks 4| and 42 formed on basket rim 49 to mount basket l4 so that its vertical axis is in alignment with the axis of shaft I5. The tongues and tracks are so formed that when sup ort 45 is correctly positioned with- Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 5, top, bottom,

and side plates 41, 48, 49, and 59 extend outwardly from the side wall IQ of the housing to form a rectangular shaped opening in the front of the machine. and are preferably spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the diameter of housing side wall I9, thus permitting full access to the interior of the housing. The rectangular shaped opening formed by plates 41, 48, 49, and E 50 is closed by a sliding door 5| and a pivotally mounted door 52. Door 52 is pivotally connected by knuckles 52a and 5212 (Figure 1) to a pin 53 mounted on side wall 49, This door is provided with a shelf 54 (Figure 2) which extends outwardly from the machine in a horizontal plane from the upper edge of the door (Figure 3) and also has a latch 55. Door 52 is provided with a pair of tracks, one of which is shown at 56 in Figure 3, adjacent the outer edges thereof as viewed in Figure 1. The outer edges of sliding door 5| extend into these tracks, thus mounting door 5| for vertical movement with regard to door 52. Walls 48 and 49 are also provided with tracks which are aligned with the tracks in door 52 when door 52 is closed. This permits sliding door 5| (Figure 3) to be raised to close the upper half of the rectangular shaped opening.

Sliding door 5| also has a shelf 5'! which extends inwardly into the housing from. the upper Walls 48 and 49 areparallel edge thereof, and this shelf is positioned in the same plane as shelf 54 when door 5| is in its lower position, as shown in Figure 3. These shelves form a working surface to aid the operator in placing a basket in or removing one from the housing, Door 5| is held in its closed position by a catch 58, which coacts with a lug 59 formed on door 5|. When the operator presses inwardly upon the handle 59a of catch 58, door 5| is released and it may be manually lowered into the dotted line position shown in Figure 3. Rubber cushions, one of which is shown at 6!] (Figure 3), are provided to prevent the sliding door from striking against the stops at the bottom of the tracks in door 52..

Platform N is' mounted in any suitable manner upon the upper end of a hydraulically operated piston 6| (Figures 1 and 3). This piston is mounted in a cylinder 62 which, in turn, is mounted upon base l9. A motor, pump, sump, and release valve unit, generally indicated at 66 (Figure 2), is mounted on the rear of housing. Ill. This unit supplies fluid under pressure through pipe 5'! to the cylinder 62 and the fluid returns to the pump through pipe 68. The flow of fiuid to and from cylinder 62 is controlled by valve 69 (Figure 1) which, in turn, is operated by handle 63 through rod Hi. By moving handle 63 to the correct position, the platform may be raised or lowered as desired, and when the desired position is reached, the position is maintained by moving handle 63 to a neutral position.

The platform (Figure 3) carries the heating apparatus, generally indicated at |2 the body of which is of heavy metal construction. The body includes a cylindrically shapedside wall 120. and a bottom IZb, both of which are preferably-of substantial thickness. Bottom |2b extends outwardly from side wall |2a and an annular flange H extends downwardly from bottom |2b adjacent the edge thereof. Another annular flange 12 extends outwardly and then downwardly from side wall |2a adjacent the. top thereof. Two ring heating elements 13 and 14 extend around the outside of side wall I20; and are mounted thereon in any suitable manner. These elements are covered by a cylindrically shaped shell 16 which fits over the edge of base I21) and extends upwardly under the downwardly extending portion 12a of flange 72. 'A series of heating elements (Figures 3 and 4) are mounted on th under side of bottom |2b so that they evenly heat this portion of th heating apparatus. These elements and the elements extending around the side Wall |2a (Figure 1) are connected to a flexible electric cable 15, which is of sufficient length to permit platform I to move freely and which extends outwardly through the side wall of housing I0 (Figure 1) to a source of current. The en'- ergization of all of the heating elements in heating apparatus |2 is controlled by a thermocouple I49 (Figure 7) seated in base plate |2b (Figures 3 and 4) and held by a clamp 8|. Th thermocouple lead wires 4| and I42 (Figure '7) extend through a flexible cable I43 (Figures 1 and 3) which is of sufficient length to. permit free movement of platform The lead wires l4! and I42 (Figure 7) pass through the side wall I!) of the housing and act through a thermostatic controller (not shown) to control the energization of the heating elements 13, I4, and 89 (Figures 3 and 4) and thus the temperatureof the body of heating apparatus l2.

To automatically break the circuit to the heating elements 13, 14, and 80 if either of lead wires I4I or I42 is broken between the housing wall I9 and th thermocouple or if the thermocouple breaks, a pair of wires I44 and. I45 areconnected to lead wire I 4| and I42at a point immediately outside of housing IILQ'A circuit of which these wires form a part is completed through the portions of lead wires I 4| and I42 within housing I and the thermocouple. Thus if either of these lead wires or the thermocouple breaks, the electrical connection between wire I44 and I45 is broken. Wires I44 and I45 form part of the circuit of suitable electrical control mechanism (not shown) which automatically breaks the circuit to heating elements 13, I4, and 80 when wires I44 and I45 are no longer electrically connected.

Tank I3 is cylindrically shaped and its lower portion fits snugly within the well formed by wall I 2a and bottom I2b of heating apparatus I2. The tank is provided with a bead II to indicate the depth to which it should be filled with wax and the side wall of the tank extends a substantial distance above this point. The upper edge of the tank preferably has a ring 85 extending inwardly therefrom, for purposes to be disclosed fully hereinafter. When platform II is in its lowermost position, the upper edge of the tank is positioned beneath the basket l4 so that the basket may b removed from the machine (Figure 3). Platform I I has an arm 86 (Figure 3) extending upwardly therefrom which is adapted to strike a bracket 81 on sliding door 5! so that when the platform and thus the tank is raised, the sliding door is moved upwardly into a closed position where it is retained by catch 58 Platform II (Figure 1) also coacts with an indicator, generally indicated at SI], which is mounted for vertical movement with respect to housing I0. As the platform is raised and lowered, the indicator finger 90a moves upwardly and'downwardly in front of the face of an index plate marked to show the different positions of tank I3 with respect to basket I4.

To heat the interior of the casin a heating unit, generally indicated at IBB (Figures land 6) is used. This heating unit includes a series of heating elements I5! connected to a suitable source of current. These elements are mounted in a housing H32 having one opening I93 in its bottom adjacent base I3 and another IMleading into a blower housing I55. The fan I66 within the blower housing is driven by a motor m mounted on a bracket I09 connected to the side wall of the machine and housings Hi2 and I05 are mounted on the side wall I9 by a bracket I Ill. In operation, the fan I06 draws air into the lower end of housing I92 where it is heated by heating elements Ill! and then discharges the heated air upwardly into the interior of the machine.

The operation of heating unit IBIlzis controlled by an air thermostat. This air thermostat includes a tube I50 (Figures 1 and 5) which is positioned in the upper portion of housing I i! and which is filled with a gas, the pressure of which acts upon suitable thermostatic control mechanism (not shown) to control the operation of heating unit IGiI. Suitable control mechanism I55 responsive to the pressure within tube I50 is mounted on side wall of housing Iii. This control mechanism, whenever the pressure within tube I55 falls below a certain point, breaks a circuit of which wires I55 and I5! form a part, When this circuit is broken, a switch in the circuit of heating unit IE9 is closed. Thus an automatic control for maintaining the temperature within housing Ili isshown, and furthermore automatic mechanism is described for preventing the operation of theheating unit whenever there is a leak in tube I50.

V In operation suflicient wax is placed in tank I3 to fill it to the bead I! (Figure 3). The heating elements of heating apparatus I2 heat side wall 52a and bottom IZb to a temperature sufficient to maintain the wax in tank l3 in a fluid state. Because of the thickness of side wall IM and bottom I2b and because the temperature of side wall I 20, and bottom I227 are controlled by the thermocouple I45, the wax in tank It is not carbonized by excess heating when wax is being melted therein. In other words, because the thermocouple controls the temperature of the heating apparatus. and not the temperature vof the wax, the heating apparatus is never heated to a temperature suificient to injure the coating material. At the same time the circuit to heating apparatus I2 is completed, the circuits to motor I91 and heating elements It! are closed. By heating unit I08, the interior of the machine is heated to a point above the melting point of the wax being used and is maintainedat this point by the thermostatic control described hereinabove. The insulated housing I0 is of material aid in maintainin the temperature within the housing constant.

Next a basket having a load of articles to be waxed therein is mounted on support 45. Then the valve control handle 53 is turned to a position which causes the hydraulic fiuid to act on piston 5i and raise platform II and thus tank I3 until the'articles in the basket are immersed in the coating material. During the upward movement of the tank, arm coacts with bracket 81 (Figure 3) on sliding door 5! to automatically move the sliding door upwardly to a closed position. When the basket is in the coating material, the indicator finger a is at the point marked dip onthe index plate I20,

After the articles have been immersed in the coating material for a period sufiicient to allow the material to thoroughly cover all of the articles, valve 59 is again operated by handle 53 to lower the platform and thus tank I3 until the indicator finger 95a is opposite the place marked spin (Figure 1 At this time the handle, which controls the operation of the motor I6 (Figure 2) and the brakin mechanism, is thrown which causes the basket to be rotated at a high rate of speed. This rotation causes excess Wax to be thrown off of the articles through the utilization of centrifugal force, and at the same time centrifugal force causes the wax to impregnate the articles being coated if they are capable of impregnation. The heating of the interior of the housing materially aids both the throwing oif of the excess wax and the utilization of centrifugal force to impregnate articles capable of being im pregnated with wax as the wax on the articles is maintained in a highly fluid condition. Thus, in the case of wire coils, the wax penetrates the layers of wire insuring thorough moisture-proofing.

The spinning preferably is done first in one direction and then in the other and each time the handle is moved to reverse motor iii, the brake shoes act upon drum 2? (Figure 1) to stop the rotation of the shaft I5 and thus basketI4 as the handle has to move through the braking or neutral position before the motor can be reversed. During wall of tank I3 and flows downwardly into the bottom of the tank. The ring 85 around the upper edge of tank 13 prevents the wax from flowing over the tanks edge. After the basket has been spun for a period sufiicient to throw off the excess wax, the rotation of the basket is stopped by moving handle 3! (Figure l) to a neutral position. Next platform H and thus tank It are lowered by exhausting the hydraulic fluid from cylinder 52, and the basket is then removed through door 5|.

Thus, a practical and efiicient coating machine has been disclosed in which articles may be coated and impregnated with wax. Furthermore, a type of housing and heating unit have been shown which coact in producing a thin, even coating of wax on the articles Within the basket. Furthermore, heating apparatus for maintaining the wax in a molten state has been disclosed'which will efiiciently maintain the wax at the correct temperature and which will prevent undue heating of the wax at any time. Furthermore, automatic breakdown controls are provided for both heating unit I98 and heating apparatus I2 which automatically operate whenever there is a breakdown in either of the thermostatic control systems. Thus, a machine has been disclosed in which the several objects hereinabove mentioned, as well as many others, have been accomplished.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

-I claim:

1. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, a basketfor holding 9, plurality of articles, a container for holding a coating material of a type requiring th application of heat to maintain the coating material in a fluid state, said housing completely enclosing said basket and said container, means for dipping said basket and the articles therein in said coating material, means for rotating said basket after the articles have been dipped in said coating material to remove the excess coating material from the articles through the utilization of centrifugal force, heating means positioned within said housing, means for circulating the air within said housing, and

heating apparatus for maintaining the coating material in said container in a fluid condition.

2. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, a

perforated container for holding a, plurality of articles, a container for holding a coating material, said housing completely enclosing both of said containers, heating apparatus for maintaining said coating material in a fluid condition, said heating apparatus including a heavy metal side wall and bottom positioned in close proximity to the side wall and the bottom of said secondmentioned container, heating means for heating the side wall and the bottom of said heating apparatus, and temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the side wall and thebottom of said heating apparatus, means for dipping said perforated container and the articles therein in said coating material, and means for rotating said perforated container after it has been dipped in said coating material to remove the excess coating material from said articles through the utilization of centrifugal force.

3. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, means for insulating said housing, a perforated container for holding a plurality of articles, a container for holding wax, said housing completely enclosing both of said containers, heating apparatus for maintaining said wax in a fluid condition, said heating apparatus having a heavy metal side wall and bottom positioned in close proximity to the side Wall and thebottom of said second-mentioned container, heating means for heating the side wall and the bottom of said heating apparatus, temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the side wall and the bottom of said heating apparatus, means for dipping said perforated container and the articles therein in said wax, means for rotating said perforated container after it has been dipped in said wax to remove the excess wax from said articles through the utilization of centrifugal force, and a heating unit for maintaining the temperature within said housing at a point above the melting point of said wax.

4. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, a basket for holding a plurality of articles, a container for holding a liquid coating material, said housing completely enclosing said basket and said container, means'for dipping said basket and the articles therein in said coating material, means for rotating said basket after the articles have been dipped in said coating material to remove the excess coating material from the articles through the utilization of centrifugal force, heating means positioned within said housing, and means for circulating the air heated by said heating means within the interior of said housing.

5. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, a basket for holding a plurality of articles, a container for holding a liquid coating material positioned in the upper portions of said housing, said housing completely enclosing said basket and said container, means for dipping said basket and the articles therein in said coating material, means for rotating said basket after said basket has been removed from said coating material to remove the excess coating material from the articles in said basket through the utilization of centrifugal force, heating means positioned in the lower portions of said housing, and circulating means associated with said heating means for blowing the air heated by said heating means into the upper portions of said housing.

6. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, a perforated container for holding a plurality of articles, a container for holding a coating material, said housing completely enclosing both of said containers, a supporting member, means for raising and lowering said supporting member, heating apparatus for maintaining said coating material in a fluid condition mounted on said supporting member, said heating apparatus supporting said second-mentioned container on said supporting member, said heating apparatus including a heavy metal side wall and bottom positioned in close proximity to the side wall and bottom of said second-mentioned container, a plurality of electrical heating elements positioned on the side wall and bottom of said heating apparatus for heating said heating apparatus, and thermocouple control means for controlling the temperature of the side wall and bottom of said heating apparatus, said first-mentioned container with the articles therein being dipped in said coating material when said supporting member is raised, and'means for rotating said perforatedcontainer after it has been clipped in said coating material to remove the excess coating material from said articles through the utilization of centrifugal force.

7. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, a perforated container for holding a plurality of articles, a container for holding a coating material, said housing completely enclosing both of said containers, heating apparatus for maintaining said coating material in a fluid condition, said heating apparatus including a heavy metal side wall and bottom positioned in close proximity to the side wall and bottom of said second-mentioned container, a plurality of electrical heating elements positioned in close proximity to the side wall and bottom of said heating apparatus, and a thermocouple seated in the bottom of said heating apparatus for controlling the temperature of the side wall and bottom of said heating apparatus, means for dipping said perforated container and the articles therein in said coating material, and means for rotating said perforated container after it has been dipped in said coating material to remove the excess coating material from said articles through the utilization of centrifugal force.

8. In a machine for coating articles with a coating material, in combination, a housing, a perforated container for holding a plurality of articles, a container for holding a coating material, said housing completely enclosing both of said containers, heating apparatus for maintain- 7 ing said coating material in a fluid condition, said heating apparatus including a heavy metal side wall and bottom positioned in close proximity to the side wall and bottom of said second-mentioned container, heating means for heating the side wall and bottom of said heating apparatus, and-temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the side wall and bottom of said heating apparatus, means for dipping said perforated container and the articles therein in said coating material, means for rotating said perforated container after it has been dipped in said coating material to remove the excess coating material from said articles through the utilization of centrifugal force, heating means positioned within said housing, and means associated with said heating means for circulating the air heated by said heating means through the interior of said housing.

ROBERT K. GOODLATTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 694,698 Thomas Mar. 4, 1902 1,981,453 Hyde Nov. 20, 1934 1,707,711 Conti Apr. 2, 1929 2,102,819 Ronci Dec, 21, 1937 2,133,214 Scott Oct. 11, 1938 2,133,390 Kotcher et a1 Oct. 18, 1938 

